Compiled by Bob Nixon
- More than 90 percent of Kurds living in northern Iraq voted in favor of establishing an independent Kurdistan in a Sept. 25 non-binding referendum. Iraq, Iran, Turkey and the United States opposed the move toward creating the first Kurdish state. The current semi-autonomous Kurdish region is rich with oil reserves and is a key ally in the military campaign against the jihadist Islamic State or ISIS. (“Iraqi Kurds decisively back independence in referendum,” BBC, Sept. 26, 2017; “What is at stake in Iraqi Kurdistan vote for independence,” BBC op-ed, Sept. 18, 2017; “Iraqi Kurds vote for independence over U.S. objections,” Foreign Policy, Sept. 25, 2017)
- After a weekend of tweeting insults against African-American pro football players, President Donald Trump came face-to-face with the growing humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico. The Commonwealth of 3.4 million people took a direct hit by Category 4 Hurricane Maria, and after 10 days most of the island is without power, water or cell phone service. (“Trump finally responds to Puerto Rico crisis, saying the island has ‘massive debt,'” Guardian, Sept. 26, 2017; “Mass exodus from Puerto Rico feared after hurricane and debt crisis,” NBC, Sept. 26, 2017; “Puerto Rico’s debt plagued power grid before hurricane wiped it out,”Los Angeles Times, Sept. 28, 2017)
- The election of Donald Trump and his appointed right-wing Justice Department led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions has pushed the Black Lives Matter movement to rethink its political strategy. (“The future of BLM,” The Nation, Sept. 19, 2017)
